There was voting in Stalin's Rusia too, that didn't make it a liberal democracy .... check out your range of choices on 'voting' in Cuba, an impartial view will leave you less impressed [not that the same is untrue at all times in the US or Canada or anywhere else, but at least you get in 'democracies' a wider spectrum of crooks and/or incompetents] ..... and that 'constitution', lol, yes they voted to make 'irrevocable' a completely state-planned economy and thought process, from last year to the end of time ..... sure, sure
Good for the euros on this here, it's time Chrétien had our foreign ministre stand up for principle on human rights too, and Fox hired back Castañeda as a consultant or something, had him stick it to old Fidel again for his suppression of freedom of speech .... never mind this bullshit of there only being two sides, where if you criticise the hypocrisy of Castro you are on the side of the DC neocons, most who think on this planet detest both parties -
' Cuba Continues European Union Bashing
Fri Jun 13, 3:13 PM ET
By ANITA SNOW, Associated Press Writer
HAVANA - After leading a march of hundreds of thousands of people outside
the Spanish Embassy, Fidel Castro (news - web sites) continued his
criticisms of the European Union (news - web sites) in a televised speech
that stretched into the early hours of Friday.
Speaking to an international cultural conference
Thursday evening, Castro said the 15-nation
European bloc should stop being "tugged along
by the United States" when it comes to Cuba.
Castro's willingness to alienate Cuba's most
important source of trade and tourism alarmed
some of the island's dissidents, who warned that
the Caribbean nation is growing more isolated
than ever from the international community.
"This is an unacceptable situation that greatly reduces the possibilities of
communication and insertion of our country into the international arena," the
opposition group Arco Progresista said in a statement news organizations.
"It is important to reverse this course of action that can provoke a spiral of
undesirable events," the dissident group added.
The European Union on Friday repeated its demand for democratic reforms
in Cuba.
In Brussels, Belgium, spokesman Diego de Ojeda said the EU wants closer
economic and political relations with the communist government but only if
Cuba becomes more democratic.
During his Thursday evening address, Castro said President Bush (news -
web sites) is ignorant about Europe and was using EU members for his
political agenda.
"He just realized that Europe exists, and that it exists to obey," said Castro.
"He does not understand any other concept of Europe."
Earlier in the day, Castro led hundreds of thousands of people in a march
outside the Spanish Embassy to protest European support of U.S. policies
aimed at nurturing pro-democracy activism in Cuba. His brother and
designated successor, Defense Minister Gen. Raul Castro, led a similar
march outside the Italian mission.
A day after the marches, it was business as usual at both embassies.
More than 100 Cubans waited outside Spain's mission in Old Havana for
visas to visit or emigrate to the European country with the closest historical
ties to the Caribbean country.
Europe's commercial ties to Cuba are also important, with about 80 percent
of the island's imports and half the tourists coming the 15-member European
Union.
In Rome, Italy's Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the Cuban
ambassador to express indignation over Castro's personal criticism of
Premier Silvio Berlusconi and the rally outside the Italian Embassy.
A senior Italian Foreign Ministry official expressed to Cuban Ambassador
Maria de los Angeles Florez Prida "the deep indignation caused by offensive
expressions used by President Fidel Castro regarding the Italian premier,"
said a ministry statement.
During an impromptu talk on state television Wednesday night, Castro
mockingly referred several times to the Italian premier as "Burlesconi,"
essentially likening him to clown.
On signs carried by marchers Thursday, the Italian leader was portrayed as
a marionette and compared to fascist leader Benito Mussolini.
In Madrid, the Spanish government declined to comment further on the
protests, during which Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar was mocked as
a "little Fuhrer." Instead, Deputy Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy
expressed his government's "solidarity and closeness with the Cuban
people, with whom we feel united."
Cuba's protests come a week after the EU announced it was reviewing
its policies toward Cuba following the sentencing of 75 dissidents to long
prison terms and the firing-squad executions of three men who hijacked a
ferry.
The European Union said in last week's statement it was "deeply
concerned about the continuing flagrant violation of human rights and of
fundamental freedoms of members of the Cuban opposition and of
independent journalists."
EU members unanimously agreed to reduce high-level governmental visits
and participation in cultural events on the island.
The European nations also agreed to invite dissidents to national holiday
celebrations at their embassies in Havana as a sign of support for the
island's internal opposition. '
story.news.yahoo.com |
